Top 5 bowlers with the most suspect bowling action of all time
The game of cricket has had a history of controversies involving bowling styles. Many bowlers from time to time were called in matches for illegal actions where they were found to be bending their arms while delivering the ball. Earlier the bowlers were supposed to rotate their arm completely without any bending.
The rule was amended and the bowlers were given an elbow extension of up to 15 degrees, so as to help players.
Spin bowling is a very complex art in cricket and bowlers use all sorts of tricks to trouble the batsmen. Saqlain Mushtaq from Pakistan had introduced the ‘Doosra’ which turned the other way round as opposed to the normal off-break. It required a certain extension of the elbow to execute the delivery. Many off spinners adopted that delivery but were deemed in trouble for illegal actions. Here are some of the bowlers who had the most suspicious bowling actions:
5) Marlon Samuels
The tall off-spinner from the Caribbean had a pretty complicated action. He used to dance to the crease and deliver the ball from side on. But it was his quicker delivery that caused him the most trouble. He would bend the arm over the permissible limit and gain extra yards to the ball.
The part-timer was reported for a suspicious action in 2008 and was suspended for close to 4 years. He was allowed to resume in 2011 after remedial work. He was reported again in 2013 and was stopped from bowling his quicker deliveries but he could continue the normal off-spin.
In 2015, he was again suspended from bowling and subsequently banned for 12 months as he was reported twice within two years. He was only a part-time bowler and not the most effective one yet he was in the thick of things due to the multiple suspensions.
